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Exam results are back! As expected, M1 topped her class again. So she’s getting her reward – an Ed Sheeran limited edition album which we had to buy online from his website. A promise is a promise, so how can I break it? She did her part and I have to as well. But I nearly fainted upon learning that the shipping charges cost as much as the album! Well, a promise made has to be a promise fulfilled. The album will be on its way soon after the release.

As for M2, well… This is where I feel caught in a predicament. The 80 percent average was not achieved but it’s a top ten position in class. What do I do? Does she get the phone as originally negotiated? A top ten is pretty good for her ability, an improvement from the last exam but this was not the deal as agreed.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t too upset at not getting the phone but very happy with the top ten and promised to do better in the next exam. That’s the way to go, gal! Let’s hope her promise made will be a promise fulfilled too.

Level 578 in Candy Crush has been very trying and bordered on being a dreaded task to go through. So why am I still at it? I don’t know, I ask myself that too, constantly. Sometimes my obsession with this game is just… just so obsessive.

Despite the constant frustration, I persisted to battle the ridiculous (for lack of a better word) level of 578. Then amazingly, when I least expected it, I conquered the level. Yay! On a roll, I completed the Wafer Windmill yesterday. I am now just waiting for the new chapter to open up in Facebook, which I don’t understand why I cannot send out help to ask for tickets, when the next chapter is clearly visible on the map. Something is not right. Hmm… I guess I have to be patient.

The recent update makes no difference to me as it opened up only more levels for Dreamworld which I have stopped playing. And all this time, while attempting Level 578 and beyond, I was limited to using the laptop at home because the iPad is still showing me at Gummy Gardens, the previous chapter. So it’s an achievement of sorts given the restricted playing time that I have.

M2 is all grown up with her birthday coming up at the end of this month. I can’t believe she is turning 13; she amazes me yet at the same time, a little heart-breaking that my baby is all grown up, officially a teenager come Monday, joining M1 who is four years older than her.

Despite the outlook of being all grown up, the child in her is very enthusiastic about the impending special day. Earlier in the month, she drew out, yes drew not write, her birthday wish list and showed me.

“Wow! A bit excessive, no?” I asked.

“No Mummy. It’s exactly the same as my list last year but less things. The only difference are the 13 on the cake and the year. See?” she pointed out philosophically.

It is no secret that I set some unusual guidelines when it comes to family travels. Besides the Carrots Reward Program that I have for the girls for doing well in school, there is this weight requirement rule.

Two years ago, when I was planning our US Great Adventure Road Trip, I imposed the ruling that M2 needs to be 30kgs to withstand the 30-hour journey from here to the Land of Opportunity. She hit the target (besides the both of them meeting the school targets) and off we went.

It is 2014 now and while there is talk of going here, there and far away, the travel plans are still up in the air. So whenever the girls ask where we will go this year, I would remind that M2 needs to reach 40kgs.

Do you realize that those breakfast menus that you find available in hotel rooms, either hanging at the doorknob or placed on the table, are fun things? When the girls were younger and we traveled without them, we always made it a point to bring this home for them.

The menu was known as ‘The Breakfast Test’ because looking like a test paper, it was a ‘challenge’ to fill in the blanks and check the boxes, like in a real exam except that there’s never a wrong answer! Such a confidence booster to prep for real exams. Back then, it was such a big deal and something both girls looked forward to having besides the usual gifts galore.

They are much older now and sadly, this little fun thing to do seems trivial to them now.

It was a case of really bad connection at home that resulted in my devices not synching the weekend before; nothing wrong at all with them. When I went to the office the next day, all’s well and up to date. Rotating between my desktop, iPad Mini and iPhone5S, I have progressed on to Level 350 for my Farm Heroes.

Clearly the agitated hubby is not quite farmer nor does he has the patience for Farm Heroes. He was enlisted to ‘play’ only to help send me lives whenever I get stuck to cross a chapter. But with the network of friends in Facebook, it became unavoidable and known to all that he’s also a farm hand (albeit a non-active one). That’s why he’s been getting a barrage of requests for assistance.

Last night, I tried to convince him to try play the game citing it as mind-challenging and even therapeutic.

During the recent two-week school holidays, the girls have been talking funny. They’d go, “Eh, Dude!” while addressing each other. Could it be that M2 is now a teenager too and this is teen talk? I don’t recall my teenage years addressing my only sibling like this even though he was a guy and here, my children are going like this – both being girls, mind you.

I overheard their conversation and was appalled at how they were addressing each other. “My goodness! How can you call each other ‘Dude!'” I reprimanded them, “You’re girls and sisters! Be nicer.”

True enough to my prediction, Level 578 is indeed easier with that one difference in location of the chocolate maker and less moves required to whack the brown blocks and jellies! Just three attempts in Facebook on the laptop, I finally crossed the dastardly level! Yay.

I have breeze passed the other levels easily and sitting at 588 now. Life goes on.

Level 578 in Facebook on the laptop. Notice the two side jellies, the brown blocks and where the chocolate maker sits.

Now, the same level on the iPad. Notice the difference in the same elements?

Candy Crush updated again for the iPad last week. This means I don’t have to rely on the laptop to aggravate myself. Yes, I am still stuck at Level 578. Should I even bother to continue or should I just give up? Hmm…

I decided to continue for the sake of continuing, mindlessly flicking on the iPad without success. Then last night, right before I went to bed, I tried on the laptop.

And you know what?! I discovered the layout of the board differs on the iPad and in Facebook on the laptop! How could they do this again! This is the second time I made this discrepancy discovery. The first being Level 410.

After several days off Candy Crush, focusing on Farm Heroes instead, last night I discovered that the chocolate maker have suddenly shifted and now is located at the bottom of the grid. On the iPad, however, the chocolate maker sits on top! Even the two side jellies are different! The iPad version needs two hits while the laptop version, just once. On top of these, the blocks on the iPad needs more moves to break them! No wonder I have not been able to pass.

Maybe there’s hope to overcome this level because it is now way easier. The fact that several of my fellow Candy Crushers (who caught up to Level 578 and were perpetually stuck like me) finally moved on has given me hope that I can do it!